Glucose Readings.....

Hi Janet, I'm glad the doctor is asking for these blood sugar readings so he/she can see how they are in general and if there are any trends.  I'm presuming you'll also have some blood tests so the lab can get accurate readings, too, and do the A1c to see what your 3-month average was.  There are wide ranges for what the medical profession thinks is "acceptable" for fasting, postprandial (after eating), etc.  The guidelines that I've found in the literature from the doctor's office, the ADA and several online medical websites say that 2 hours after eating the blood sugar should be under 145 or under 160 (from 2 different sources).  Then, another source (can't remember where but it was online) says a 'normal' person's postprandial would be 100 - 120 but a diabetic's would be under 160.  Ok, but according to what I've read in some more recent literature, blood sugar should not be in the 140's or 160's at all for anyone on a regular basis.  If your blood sugar is going up to those figures, you are not metabolizing carbs normally (oh really? what a surprise) and you have to get the blood sugar down.  Unfortunately, this is where patients and doctors end up butting heads sometimes.  Following the old guidelines, a doctor would prescribe meds to keep the blood sugar under control and advise the ADA diet.  The problem is that the ADA diet is high in carbs and will keep your blood sugar high, so you will need meds.  It'll be a never-ending cycle unless you take steps to break it.  I'm presuming you would turn out to be type 2 - and even if they call you borderline or insulin resistant, it's still diabetes.  From what I've read now, over the long run, blood sugar running as high as what's been accepted will probably do damage to our hearts, eyes and kidneys over the years, so it's in our best interest to keep our blood sugar lower, nearer to normal.  How to do this is the question because our bodies metabolize differently.  What might work for me might not work for another person but there is one fact we can't ignore: carbohydrates drive the blood sugar up.  Keep the carbs to a minimum and the blood sugar will not be as high.  We do not need the carbs in bread, rice and potatoes.  We can get all the nutrients we need in the vast range of vegetables, nuts, salad food, etc. that we can eat.  Sorry to be long-winded.   These are things I've learned as I've gone through the road to diabetes myself but I'm not a doctor.  I would suggest reading up on nutrition and metabolism in the South Beach Diet Phase 1, The Insulin Resistant Diet by Hart and Grossman and Diabetes Solution by Dr. Richard Bernstein.  Good luck and keep us informed.  Also, read through the past topics here to find out information about how some members eat, etc. and what works for them.

I haven't been diagnosed with diabetes yet. I'll know something Thursday. But my step-dad is diabetic and he tested my blood sugar the other morning a half-hour after I ate a chicken biscuit and it read 166. Is this high? How high, considering I just ate a half-hour before?
Please let me know. This is all kinda confusing to me.

Thanks

Thanks for your feedback. I'm only about ten pounds overweight but I'm starting to lose without trying. No, I don't have a family history and no, the biscuit wasn't very big.
I agree - wait and see. No use worrying about it now. But the waiting is killing me!

shellseekr,
I was told to eat bread and rice and pasta in my classes. Oh, and that was at the same classes where they taught me to do insulin injections! DUH!!! Now I eat very few starches and my sugars are better... and I'm off the insulin. The more I learn, the more I distrust the ADA. Too many drug companies are helping them along for my taste. Here is my rationale..

In primitive diets grains were only available in plenty at harvest time. This large influx of grain into the diet switched the body over to "fat storage" mode for the long winter ahead. Now if we eat starches every day then our body thinks it's harvest time every day. Hence the fat storage before burning carbs for everyday use. I believe this is why diabetics always feel hungry a few hours after dinner when they eat lots of carbs. It's gone to fat and the cells are still hungry. Lots of veggies in place of carbs is the answer for me. Keeps the numbers down and lowers the fat index in the body.

Thanks so much for that link!  It is a really good website, with alot of information.  Very helpful.  And my sugars have been consistently coming down this week.  Not yet to where the doc wants them, but definitely going in the right direction,,,and I lost 2 more lbs!!!  Yeah!

Hi, all!

Well, I'm a newly diagnosed - September '07 - diabetic type II. I never thought I'd be. I'd barely been able to top 110 weight - never been able to give blood due to weight! Suddenly, I've ballooned to 150. It's the steroids, I'm told. I'm on oral prednisone (plus inhaled steroids) due to severe COPD. Matter of fact, that's how the dx happened. I was in the hospital - one of 9 since 1/07, was asked if I was diabetic due to random glucose of 138. I said "I don't think so" But...as the week progressed, fingersticks showed bg readings of 150-250. They weren't worried, and told me to get a fasting when I got home.

But...I'd had a meter at home (long story) and began to take random readings for a few days, called them into my doc, then did it for the following week. He finally suggested I come in and start on Insulin...I did - 15-20 units Lantus.

My appetite waxes and wans, due to my energy level and what I've done or not done during the day - my sugars vary too. I can eat and eat, and have 'normal' sugars (no higher than 150); and I can eat less and have readings over 200-300. It's bizzaare, but it's characteristic of prednisone induced or unmasked diabetes, I've been told. Postprandial readings are the highest for prednisone users. Just about the time I think I should give myself insulin for the day, my readings will stay under 160. Then, suddenly, I'll get a 200-250 reading about 8 p.m. but I'm afraid to give myself 20 units of lantus for fear my sugars will plummet during the night and...

I've been known to give myself lesser insulin depending on my diet, and usually, I 'guess' right - I waver between 12 units and 20 units - there are days where my sugars are crazy...sometimes this is a precursor to an infection (72 hours before last pneumonia, my sugars ranged from 180-350 5 out of 6 readings; then the day before (usually, I feel great the day before I'm sick...go to bed feeling fine, and wake up sick as a dog) I felt lousy, but that's neither here nor there. Do any of you find your bg readings go nuts just before or within a few days of springing a cold, flu or some kind of bacterial infection? Looking back at my meter, yes...I can see just before I end up in the hospital (within 48-72 hours) there are higher bg readings than the surrounding days. Although, I have high readings where no infection followed, so I can't go by that as an absolute.

I'm going to try to get myself into pulmonary rehab, and be able to exercise, which will be good for both problems....

God Bless you all!

Grannymac